Guest view: SUNYIT Marcy poised to weather turbulent times

New York state’s fiscal problems are affecting us all, especially taxpayers and the institutions that serve them: school districts, hospitals, libraries — and colleges. The State University of New York is no different; all across the state, SUNY campuses have been announcing the various steps they are taking.

By Bjong Wolf Yeigh

Uticaod

By Bjong Wolf Yeigh

Posted Mar. 28, 2010 at 12:01 AM
Updated Mar 28, 2010 at 11:28 AM

By Bjong Wolf Yeigh

Posted Mar. 28, 2010 at 12:01 AM
Updated Mar 28, 2010 at 11:28 AM

New York state’s fiscal problems are affecting us all, especially taxpayers and the institutions that serve them: school districts, hospitals, libraries — and colleges. The State University of New York is no different; all across the state, SUNY campuses have been announcing the various steps they are taking.

What about SUNYIT, Central New York’s SUNY campus? At SUNYIT, three principles will continue to guide all our actions during this difficult time:

• Maintaining and improving the student experience.

• Adding programs through public and private partnerships.

• Growing enrollment as we serve the community’s educational needs.

Mindful of these principles, we are considering a variety of budget-related measures. Since last fall, SUNYIT has been working to anticipate and address the budget situation, finding creative ways to reduce spending and raise additional revenue — but the scope of the state’s problem continues to grow.

In SUNYIT’s current budget year, 2009-10, our share of a SUNY-wide mid-year state funding reduction was $480,000, more than 5 percent of our state support for the year. The campus closed that gap but more challenges lie ahead. Although the new state budget has not been adopted, we can project that in the 2010-11 fiscal year that begins July 1 SUNYIT will face a $2.5 million gap in a budget of approximately $22 million. If the state’s fiscal condition worsens, the impact could be greater. All told, over the past 18 months, state budget cuts have reduced state support for the campus by nearly 25 percent, and SUNYIT remains dependent on state support as a significant source of operating revenue.

If you’ve read about all the good things happening at SUNYIT in recent years — our nanotechnology partnership with UAlbany’s College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering (CNSE), growing enrollment, campus construction — you might think we are immune to the global economic downturn and its impact on the state. Thanks to Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito and state Sen. Joseph Griffo, investments in SUNYIT for campus construction and the nanotech partnership are building a foundation that will create jobs, support economic development efforts and help our region to grow.

In these and many other ways, SUNYIT is very fortunate. Construction and nanotech resources have to be spent in specific ways, however, and cannot be used to support our operating budget. SUNYIT’s challenge is the same one facing other SUNY campuses: to reduce operating expenses and find new ways to generate revenue while maintaining the quality of education and student services.

So, how are we meeting this challenge?

Our efforts to reduce spending started long before the current crisis began. Over the past five years, we eliminated or held vacant several senior-level administrative positions. In November 2009, I announced the formation of a budget advisory group with representation from faculty, student and staff governing bodies and others on campus. The group has been working to identify areas of the budget where reductions are possible and ideas for revenue generation; dozens of ideas are being considered.

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This year, we will eliminate or combine additional senior-level positions, and we will offer several budget-reducing incentives to qualified faculty and staff: a Voluntary Separation Plan, Phased Retirement Program and a Voluntary Reduction in Work Schedule. Recognizing that our first priority is to maintain our high quality of education and service to students, layoffs would be a last resort. We are continuing to solicit ideas for cutting spending and increasing revenue, as all projections indicate the state’s fiscal problems — and their impact on SUNYIT — will continue to grow in 20-2011 and beyond.

One thing is certain: SUNYIT’s nanotechnology partnership with CNSE is moving forward and will become an important catalyst for regional economic growth in the years to come. As for budget matters, I am confident that our collective efforts — and a continued commitment to our three principles — will not only address our immediate fiscal situation, but will ultimately put SUNYIT in a better position for continued success and continued service to the region and all of New York state.